Ensuring excellent lighting is crucial for enhancing your video quality. Poor lighting can be distracting for viewers, preventing them from fully appreciating your content. By setting up effective lighting, you can ensure your audience remains focused on enjoying your videos. In this article, we will tell you how to get the best lighting for YouTube vlogging. Whether you are filming vlogs outside or taking indoor YouTube videos, you can find useful tips here.
Harness natural light for YouTube vlogging outdoors
Natural lighting refers to sunlight or ambient light sources, excluding artificial equipment. It lends a genuine, organic appearance suitable for videos like vlogs, outdoor scenes, or documentaries. Sunrise and sunset offer soft, diffused light for a warm, flattering glow, whereas midday sunlight is vibrant and energetic. While cost-effective and user-friendly, it requires you to plan shoots around the weather and time of day for consistent results. Natural lighting, however, can sometimes yield poor results, as seen in recordings on overcast days.
Tips for Setting Up Natural Lighting for YouTube vlogs:
- Capture vlogs during the golden hours (sunrise or sunset) to achieve soft, warm light.
- Ensure your subject faces the light source to enhance their appearance.
- Employ reflectors or diffusers to soften and manage hard sunshine.
- Monitor clouds and weather shifts, which can change your lighting.
- Plan shoots to coincide with optimal lighting conditions for desired effects.
Choose the best light source for consistent vlog lighting
Suitable artificial light source is the key to the best lighting for YouTube vlogging. Here are 5 factors to consider:
- Your choice of filming location (indoors versus outdoors): Filming outdoors under natural light requires different equipment than shooting in dim indoor environments. While reflectors and diffusers are ideal outdoors, indoors you may opt for softboxes or LED panels.
- Portability considerations: Whether you're a travel vlogger always on the move or a content creator based in a studio, lightweight and portable gear like compact LED panels or collapsible reflectors can be essential for filming on the go.
- Power options (battery versus plug-in): Batteries provide mobility, perfect for outdoor shoots where electrical outlets are scarce. However, for longer sessions, plug-in lights ensure uninterrupted filming without the risk of running out of power.
- Customizable settings and controls: Your lighting equipment should adapt to your needs. Look for gear with adjustable brightness, color temperature, and directional capabilities. Having adjustable lighting at your disposal can greatly assist in achieving the perfect shot.
- Balance between cost and quality: While budget-friendly options are tempting, investing in high-quality lighting gear that promises durability and reliability is often more prudent in the long run.
Get one-light setup for simple but flattering lighting for YouTube vlogs
Using the COLBOR W100 for lighting for YouTube vlogging can significantly enhance the quality of your videos. Here are some steps to help you set it up effectively:
- Positioning: Place the COLBOR W100 at a 45-degree angle from your face. This creates a natural and flattering light that reduces harsh shadows. You can also experiment with different angles to see what works best for your setup.
- Brightness and Color Temperature: Adjust the brightness and color temperature using the controls on the light or the COLBOR Studio App. For a natural look, set the color temperature to around 5600K, which mimics daylight. You can increase or decrease the brightness based on your environment and the look you want to achieve.
- Diffusion: Use the included soft dome or a diffuser to soften the light. This helps to create a more even and pleasing light on your face, reducing harsh shadows and highlights.
- Mounting: Mount the light on a tripod or a light stand. Ensure it is stable and positioned at the right height to illuminate your face evenly.
- Power Options: The COLBOR W100 offers various power options, including a DC adapter, PD Type-C fast charging, and the COLBOR Battery Grip. Choose the one that best suits your needs and ensures you have a reliable power source during your vlogging sessions.
- Remote Control: Utilize the COLBOR Studio App for remote control. This allows you to adjust the light settings without having to move from your vlogging position, ensuring a seamless recording experience.
Build 3 point lighting system for a pro look in YouTube vlogs
Three-point lighting is a technique involving three essential light sources strategically positioned to enhance video quality and visual appeal, ensuring a balanced and flattering illumination of the subject. Here are the brief steps to achieve this lighting setup for your YouTube vlogging:
- Place the key light at a 45-degree angle to one side of the subject, slightly higher and angled downward for primary illumination.
- Position the fill light on the opposite side of the key light, either at a lower intensity or further away to soften shadows while maintaining balance.
- Set the backlight behind the subject at a higher angle to create depth and highlight edges, separating the subject from the background.
- Adjust the intensity and angles of each light to control the mood and lighting style until you get the desired effect.
- Test the setup with test shots or short clips, making adjustments as necessary to perfect shadows, highlights, and overall balance.
Follow some tips to ensure the best lighting for YouTube vlogging
Don’t mix color temperatures in your vlog’s frame: The color temperature of a light source is measured in Kelvins, determining whether it emits a warm or cool tone. Depending on the desired aesthetic, you may prefer either warmth or coolness. However, it's crucial to avoid mixing bulbs within your light sources. Consistency is key; switching between separate lights is advisable if you want different options. Mixing light sources within the same fixture can lead to unexpected complications and inconsistent results.
Position the light for YouTube vlogging higher: Typically, positioning your light source higher will yield superior results by minimizing shadows and simplifying your lighting setup. This is why you need versatile light stands. However, optimal positioning doesn't necessarily mean placing lights at ceiling level every time. Sometimes, just a slight elevation—enough to angle the light downward and direct shadows away from the camera frame—can achieve the desired effect effectively.
Illuminate the background properly: It's crucial to ensure that the background in your shots complements rather than detracts from your vlog's aesthetic appeal. Adjusting your lighting technique allows you to control the sharpness or softness of the background, significantly enhancing the visual impact of your vlogs.